Multiple-barrel firearm



L. STIENNON MULTIPLE BARREL FIREARM `3am. 25, l938.

Filed June 20, 1935 2; Sheets- Sheet 1 Jan. 25, 1938. L. sTll-:NNON 2,106,416

MULTIPLE BARREL FI REARM Filed June 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE -BARREL FIREARM Application June 20, 1935, Serial No. 27,518

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in multiple-barrel rearms, and particularly to that class of multiple-barrel firearms commonly referred to as over-and-under firearms, in which the barrels are arranged one over another in a vertical plane.

`One object of the present invention is to provide a superior over-and-under multiple-barrel firearm in which the firing mechanism is of simple and reliable nature.

A further object is to provide a superior firearm of the class described, in which hammer blows of substantially-equal force may be exerted upon a plurality of iiring-pins or equivalent members.

Another object is to provide a superior overand-under firearm construction in which the ring of an upper barrel and the ring of a lower barrel may be effected by hammers which are of substantially-corresponding character.

A still further object is to provide a superior firing-plunger arrangement for rearms of the type referred to.

Still another object is to provide a superior over-and-under multiple-barrel firearm in which two coaxial hammers of substantially equal length may reliably effect the firing of two barrels arranged one over the other.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims, the present invention includes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the prior a'rt.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a so-called overand-under double-barreledy shotgun embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4- 4 Fig. 5 is a corresponding view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the hammers, ring-plungers and associated parts of the gun-structure shown in relative operating positions;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the kpair of corresponding i'lring-plungers shown asv vertically -separated'for clarityv of illustration;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the frame-bridge; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view of one of the complementary hammers.

The particular firearm herein chosen for the illustration of the present invention is of the socalled breakdown type and includes a buttunit and a barrel-unit pivoted together, as is usual in this type of firearm.

The butt-unit comprises in the main a frame generally designated by the numeral and a buttstock 2| rigidly secured to the rear end of the said frame. The barrel-unit comprises in the main an upper barrel 22, a lower. barrel 23 and a forestock 24, which latter is provided with a forestock-shoe 25 bearing against the cylindricallycontoured forward end 26 of the frame 20 in the usual manner of breakdown rearms.

The frame 2|) has rearwardly projecting from its respective upper and lower walls a pair of substantially-parallel spaced-apart tangs 21 and 23, which are connected together at their rear ends by a substantially-vertical tie-bar 29, into which is threaded a buttstock-bolt 30 serving to rigidly unite the buttstock 2| with the frame 20.

Directly below its forwardly-facing standingbreech 3|, the frame 20 is provided with a bottom-passage 32 closed by a removable cover-plate or closure 33 and through which various machining operations may be carried on Within the interior of the frame prior to the installation of the said cover-plate 33 and through which various features o f the mechanism may be introduced, removed and adjusted.

Axially in line with the respective cartridgechambers 34 of each of the barrels 22 and 23, the standing-breech 3| of the frame 20 is i'ormed with a passage 35 through which the ring-point 36 of one of two corresponding firing-pins or firing-plungers 31-31 is adapted to be forwardly projected and by which it is guided.

The iiring-plungers 31-31 respectively serving the upper and lower barrels 22 and 23 are duplicates of each other, as above noted, though reversed in position. The upper firing-pin slopes rearwardly and downwardly, and the lower ring-pin slopes rearwardly and upwardly, and each thereof is formed at its rear end with a head 3B of substantially L-shaped form in cross-section, as particularly Well shown in Fig. '7.

The respective upper and lower firing-pins '31-31 are so constructed and arranged that their respective L-shaped heads 38-38nest together, so to speak, and form asubstantially-rectangular :cross-sectional figure, each L-shaped portion of which may reciprocate independently of the other in a rectangular bearing-passage 39 formed in a bridge-piece 40 which extends substantially-vertically between the upper and lower tangs 21 and 28 of the frame 20 a relatively-short distance to the rear of the standing-breech 3l of the latter.

Adjacent its bearing-passage 39, the forward face of the bridge-piece 40 is recessed as at 4| to provide clearance for the sloping portions of the respective firing-pins 31. The lower end-of the said bridge-piece is provided on its respective opposite sides with depending perforated coupling-ears 42-42 fitting into a recess VI3 in the lower tang 28 and secured to the latter by means of a pin 44P- extending transversely therethrough and through the respective coupling-ears 42-42 before referred to. Upstanding from the bridge-piece 4|] is a pair of complementary cylindrical anchoring-projections 44--44 entering a pair of vertically-extending complementary sock- 'ets or passages 45-45 formed in the upper tang 21 of the frame 20, as particularly well shown in The firing-pins 31-31 are formed respectively with forwardly-facing thrust-shoulders 46-46 which complement each other when the firingvpins are in place, and are engaged by the respective opposite sides of a washer-like thrust-collar 41 mounted with freedom for reciprocation and tilting upon a guide-plunger 48. The guideplunger 48 just referred 4to is provided at its forward end with a conical head 49 seating into a similarly-shaped socket-50 in the rear face of the standing-breech 3l. The rear endof the vguideplunger 48 rests in a passage provided by forming each of the heads 38--38 of the respective firing-pins 31-31 with a longitudinal groove 5l of semicircular form in cross-section.

Mounted upon the forward portion of the guide-plunger 48 is a retracting-spring 52 bearing at its forward end against the rear face of the head 49 and at its rear end against the thrust-collar 41 to thereby urge the latter rearwardly and hence urge the respective ring-pins `31-31 in the same direction to rearwardly-extend the respective rearwardly-projecting impactnoses 53-53 thereof beyond the rear surface of the bridge-piece4. For the purpose of limiting the rearward movement of the firing-pins 31-31 under the urge of the retracting-spring 52, each firing-plunger is formed with a stop-shoulder 31a -which is engageable, for the purpose referred to, with the rear wall of the recess 4I in the bridge-piece 4D.

When the two corresponding firing-pins 31-31 are in assembled relationship, the respective impact-noses thereof are located in laterally-spaced planes but in substantially the same horizontal plane, while the respective ring-points 36-36 of the said ring-pins are located in different horizontal planes but in substantially the same vertical plane.

The impact-nose 53 of the upper firing-pin 31 is located to the left of the veiticalcenter of the firearm-structure in position to be struck by the impact-face 54 of a left-hand hammer-55, while the impact-nose 53 of the lower rin'g-pin 31 is located to the right of the vertical center of the firearm-structure in position to be struck by the impact-face 56 of a right-handhammer v51. Each of the hammers 55 and 51 just referred 'to are of corresponding outline and are mounted side by side for swinging movement in a vertical pla-ne upon a-pin 58 which-extends transversely across the lower tang`28 of the frame Y2l! Aand through the respective lower ends of the said hammers.

Each of the hammers 55 and 51 is formed in its inner forward corner with a semicircular notch 59 into which extends the rear end of a cookingslide 60 mounted in the lower portion of the frame and serving, when the rearm is broken down, so to speak, to effect the cooking of the said hammers in a manner corresponding in substance to breakdown firearms in general.

Each of the hammers 55 and 51 is formed in its rear face, about midway of its height, with a socket 6l receiving the rounded forward end of a head-62 of a hammer-actuating plunger 63. Each hammer-actuating plunger is encircled by a helical hammer-spring 64 which bears at its forward end against the rear face of the head 62 of its complementary actuating-plunger 63 and at its rear end extends into a bore 65 in the tiebar 29 and seats against a pin 66 extending transversely thereacross. Thus, each hammer is movable independently of the other and is provided with spring-means exerting a constant effort to vswing its upper end forwardly for engagement .with the impact-nose 53 of its complementary firing-pin 31.

In its lower rear portion, each of the hammers 55 and 51 is formed with a cocking-notch 61 `adapted to be engaged by the cooking-nose 68 of a sear 69, one of which latter is provided for each of the said hammers. The sears 69 of the respectivehammers are mounted for pivotal movement about a common horizontal center by means of a fulcrum-pin 1D extending transversely across the lower tang 28 and through each of the said sears.

The mode` of actuating the sears 69 may vary -widely and such means per se forms no essential feature of the present invention. In the particular firearm shown, a pivotal trigger 1I carries a transversely-movable selector-slide 12 which is shiftable with respect to the said trigger to place it in position for lifting the rear end of either one or the other of the sears 69 to thus operate the same and effect the release of the particular hammer `55 or 51 controlled by the scar in question.

In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the left-hand hammer 55 is shown in the position which it assumes after having been released to effect the firing of the upper barrel, while the right-hand hammer 51 is shown in its cocked position. When either hammer is released for .striking the impact-nose 53 of its complementary firing-pin, the rear face of the bridge-piece 40 serves to limit the forward spring thereof.

By the construction and arrangement shown,

the firing of the cartridges in a pair of barrels arranged onefabove the other may be effected in a simple and reliable manner by means of hammers of substantially the same length, and therefore, having substantially the same impact force under the urge of corresponding hammersprings, such, for instance, as 54-64.

By means of the present invention, therefore, it is not necessary to employ hammers having their impact-faces located at different distances from their fulcrums, with attendant difficulties to secure appropriate'spring strength for each, nor is it necessary to mount the hammer of each firing-pin for pivotal movement about 'fulcrums displaced vertically with respect to each other.

Furthermore, by the construction above described, `the firing-points of each ofthe firingpins is assured of a-movement-parallel with the axis of the cartridge-chambers of the respective barrels, thus insuring the proper indenting of cartridge-primers despite variations in their distance from the standing-breech, due to factors such, for instance, as variations in the depths of seating of primers in the cartridges, or in Variations in the seating of the cartridges themselves in the cartridge-chambers of the barrels.

The substantial parallelism referred to in the appended claims is intended to indicate such a close approximation of true parallelism as will achieve the surety of firing before referred to, and in all instances the degree of parallelism must be such that the aids of movement of one of the firing-points will not intersect the axis of movement of the other firing-point within a distance as far back as the rear end of the buttstock.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple-barrel rearm, the combination with two barrels arranged one over the other; a pair of independently-operable impactmembers; a firing-plunger having an integral angularly-projecting firing-point and an impact-surface engageable by one of the said impact-members and extending forwardly and upwardly at an angle to the said ring-point and into a position to re the cartridge in the uppermost of the two said barrels; a second ringplunger having an integral angularly-projecting firing-point and an impact-surface adapted to be engaged by the other of the said impact-members and extending forwardly and downwardly at an angle to the said firing-point and into position to re the cartridge in the lowermost of the two said barrels; and guide-means for each of the said ring-plungers constructed and arranged to guide the same and their firing-points and impact-surfaces in a direction substantially parallel with each other, the impact-surface of each of the said ring-plungers being in substantial alignment transversely of the firearm.

2. In a multiple-barrel firearm, the combination with two barrels arranged one over the other; of a frame-structure having a standingbreech provided with a pair of passages one of which is arranged in line with the uppermost of the two said barrels and the other of which is arranged in line with the lowermost thereof and both of which are in substantial parallelism; a pair of firing-plungers each having an integral singularly-projecting firing-point projectable through one of the passages in the standingbreech of the frame-structure and one thereof extending rearwardly and downwardly and the other thereof extending rearwardly and upwardly; striker-means engageable with a rear portion of each of the said firing-plungers to forwardly propel the respective firing-points thereof; and guide-means for each of the said ring-plungers constructed and arranged to guide the same and their respective firing-points in a direction substantially parallel with each other and with the axes of the said barrels.

3. In a multiple-barrel firearm, the combination with two barrels arranged one over the other; of a frame-structure having a standingbreech provided with two substantially-parallel passages respectively in line with one of the said barrels, the said frame-structure also having a removable bridge-member extending thereacross in rearwardly-spaced relationship with respect to the said standing-breech and provided with a guide-passage located in a plane vertically intermediate the planes of the passages in the said standing-breech; a pair of ring-plungers each having a firing-point guided in one of the substantially-parallel passages in the said standingbreech, and each having its rear portion guided in the passage of the removable bridge-member of the said frame-structure; and striker-means for each of the said firing-plungers adapted to impinge against the same.

4. In a multiple-barrel firearm, the combination with two barrels arranged one over the other; a pair of firing-plungers each having a firing-point at its forward end and a guide-head at its rear end of substantially L-shaped form in cross-section, the guide-head of one firingplunger being reversed in position with respect to the guide-head of the other of the said firingplungers and intertting therewith; and impactmeans serving to independently project the said i'lring-plungers forwardly.

5. In a multiple-barrel rearm, the combination with two barrels arranged one over the other; a pair of ring-plungers each having a guide-head located adjacent the fguide-head of the other firing-member and each of the said guide-heads being formed with registering longitudinal grooves providing a bearing; a guidepin bearing in the grooves of the heads of the respective ring-plungers; and a spring encircling the said guide-pin and urging the said firingplunger rearwardly; and impact-means serving to independently project the said ring-plungers forwardly.

6. In a multiple-barrel firearm, the combination with two barrels; a pair of iing-plungers each serving to fire one of the said barrels; a retracting-spring; and a tilting retracting-member engaged with both of the said ring-plungers and engaged by the said retracting-spring intermediate its respective opposite ends; whereby each of the said firing-plungers may be moved independently o-f the other against the counterurge of the said retracting-spring.

ROY L. PARSELL. Administrator of the Estate of Louis Stiennooz,

Deceased. 

